auction sale result - harley racer

[aka HAWG]

found this while surfing

http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=lotdetailsNoFlash&iSaleItemNo=4497820&iSaleNo=18362&iSaleSectionNo=1

check out the other bikes also at the auction

aka hawg

[Sargehere]

This may be the motorcycle your AMCA Judges Warned you about

Bonham's Auction's blurb is 80 percent generic, condensed early history of the H-D motor company out of some book somewhere, it sounds. Only the last paragraph of the description references the bike offered, beginning:
"Purchased from a private seller at the Beaulieu Autojumble in 2008, this particular Model J has the 74ci (1,200cc) engine first introduced for 1921. The origin of the overhead-valve conversion is not known, nor is it known when the engine was converted, or by whom..." AND "Sold for £29,900 inclusive of Buyer's Premium"

Hmm... Too late! We're on to ya. Fantasy Island Special, D'ja think?

[flat-happy]

that's what you get when you get lawyers involved with motorcycles----it's all about the language---where'd it come from? aaa gee i dunno. you know you lying bast----. you never bought anything in your life over $2 that you didn't know everything there was to know about it and even then you wouldn't pay a poor handicapped veteran $2 for it unless you knew where you could get $10 for it-----but i'm not bitter----

[Sargehere]

Why you hemmin' and hawin', Stillman? Why don'cha tell how you really feel?

[HarleyCreation]

Putting an 8-valve top on a standard bottom is just plain silly.

Did they give the motor number?

That would tell us more about this particular fantasy bike.

[Sargehere]

Putting an 8-valve top on a standard bottom is just plain silly.

Did they give the motor number?

That would tell us more about this particular fantasy bike.

Off the Bonham's site: "Lot No: 45 1926 Harley-Davidson 74ci Model J OHV Racing Motorcycle, engine no. 26J13794"

[Barry Brown]

just another example of bonham's "double speak" they are masters at it.

[Harleyson's]

Black Widow for 29000 British Pounds

Pics from the RAF Museum, London UK

*Black Widow Racer, Rikuo, H&W . . . .

http://www.harleysons.de

[Chris Haynes]

Herbert,
He does identify that as being a Rikuo, not a Harley. I am no expert on Rikuo's but the intake ports on those cylinders look real strange. The rest of the bike appears to be a Rikuo frame with some H-D parts, like the luggage rack, crudely modified to fit it. Appears to be a VL fork and not a Rikuo fork.

[HarleyCreation]

Herbert,
He does identify that as being a Rikuo, not a Harley. I am no expert on Rikuo's but the intake ports on those cylinders look real strange. The rest of the bike appears to be a Rikuo frame with some H-D parts, like the luggage rack, crudely modified to fit it. Appears to be a VL fork and not a Rikuo fork.

Thanks Chris. I did not see that identification and know very little about Rikuo. I might as well delete my post.

[HarleyCreation]

Off the Bonham's site: "Lot No: 45 1926 Harley-Davidson 74ci Model J OHV Racing Motorcycle, engine no. 26J13794"

Back to topic:

If this bike's motor has a "26-J" bottom, it would have orig. been a 61 ci engine with "light iron alloy pistons" and not a 74. Also, the "J" was the standard 61 ci road motor for both solo and sidecar models. It was never an 8-valve racing motor bottom -- at least until now.

Hopefully it's not another Rikuo!

[Sargehere]

Chris, are you wearing your glasses? Just checking. The mention of "Rikuo" is in the auction listing, just a short list of some of the various bikes for sale, and Harleyson's URL to that brings up this:

RIKUO

This is identified as a "Rikuo." (wearing sort-of 1936-39 Harley decals, in a sort-of 1932-earlier paint scheme. The 8-valve we started this thread about is only titled "Black Widow." I only wonder if anyone knows any provenance of the "Black Widow," the alleged German racing "26J Harley," or if it's a contemporary, built last week, fantasy bike. Period. (?) So far, even the description (74ci) doesn't hang with the VIN. There looks to be some pretty-modern parts on it, as little as you can detect at this distance.

[RichO]

Fantasy bikes

Just because a machine is not the same as a factory street model or factory racer doesn't make it a replica or modern "fantasy" machine. It could have 61 cases and be stroked to 74 or 80 or? It could have a homemade, or JAP, or? upperend on it. It could have been built in someones garage in the 20's, 30's or? for competion or? There are far more period modified's out there than probally stock, traced they're roots from the factory machines. That doesn't mean they are any less rideable or due respect. Forget the money, judging, certifcation, nitpicking, etc. No wonder after 45 years in the saddle all I go to is the road runs. And I could care less what your numbers are, your bikes history, when and where it came from. All I want to know is, does it have air in the tires, oil and gas in it's tank, and can you make it to the next bar.

[exeric]

I'm rapidly adopting your requirement Dr. Sprocket. The bike I'm building now is going to be made for riding. I want it to be nice but I want it to be what Harley Davidson wanted me to do with it. . . . . Have fun with it.

[fabercycle]

Dr Sprocket....yer on the money.

I believe that was originally a former Harry Hacker bike from Germany, built in the 1990s or later to road race in Europe. Nothing silly about the OHV conversion either....Harry has got 60+ HP out of his current OHV JDH. I believe i sold him the handlebars on that 26.

It is what it is.